Driving tips/Trailer towing (Outback)
1) Left turn
2) Right turn
.Backing up with a trailer is difficult and
takes practice. When backing up with a
trailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly.
When turning back, grip the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand and turn it to
the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right
for a right turn.
.If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing
the trailer and have repairs performed
immediately by your nearest SUBARU
dealer.
!Driving on grades
.Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces-
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize theengine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts.
.When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating.
.When driving uphill in hot weather,
because the engine and transmission are
relatively prone to overheating, pay atten-
tion to the following items.
–Temperature gauge
–AT OIL TEMP warning light (CVT
models)
.If any of the following conditions occur,
immediately turn off the air conditioner and
stop the vehicle in the nearest safe
location. Refer to“If you park your vehicle
in an emergency”F9-2 and“Engine
overheating”F9-13.
–Temperature gauge needle ap-
proaches the OVERHEAT zone. Refer
to“Temperature gauge”F3-11.
–AT OIL TEMP warning light illumi-
nates (CVT models). Refer to“AT OIL
TEMP warning light (CVT models)”
F3-16.
.For CVT models, do not use the
accelerator pedal to stay stationary on
an uphill slope instead of using the
parking brake or foot brake. That may
cause the transmission fluid to overheat.!Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both
vehicle and trailer when parking. Apply
the parking brake. You should not park on
a hill or slope. If parking on a hill or slope
cannot be avoided, you should take the
following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal
down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place,
release the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then
apply the parking brake; slowly release
the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (MT
models) or“P”(CVT models) and shut
off the engine.
8-28
the shift lever into the“1st”position.
2. Apply the parking brake firmly.
3. Secure the vehicle onto the carrier
properly with safety chains. Each safety
chain should be equally tightened and
care must be taken not to pull the chains
so tightly that the suspension bottoms out.
&Towing with all wheels on the
ground
WARNING
.Never turn the ignition switch to
the“LOCK”/“OFF”position while
the vehicle is being towed be-
cause the steering wheel and the
direction of the wheels will be
locked..Remember that the brake booster
and power steering do not func-
tion when the engine is not
running. Because the engine is
turned off, it will take greater
effort to operate the brake pedal
and steering wheel.
CAUTION
.If transmission failure occurs,
transport your vehicle on a flat-
bed truck.
.For CVT models, the traveling
speed must be limited to less
than 20 mph (30 km/h) and the
traveling distance to less than 31
miles (50 km). For greater speeds
and distances, transport your
vehicle on a flat-bed truck.
1. Release the parking brake and put the
transmission in neutral.
2. The ignition switch should be in the
“ON”position while the vehicle is being
towed.
3. Take up slack in the towline slowly to
prevent damage to the vehicle.
Electronic parking brake–if
the electronic parking brake
cannot be released
Contact your SUBARU dealer and have
your SUBARU dealer release the electro-
nic parking brake.
In case of emergency/Electronic parking brake–if the electronic parking brake cannot be released9-17
vehicle in a straight line, one of the
tires and/or wheels may be damaged.
Drive slowly to the nearest authorized
SUBARU dealer and have the vehicle
inspected.
&Tire pressures and wear
Maintaining the correct tire pressures
helps to maximize the tires’service lives
and is essential for good running perfor-
mance. Check and, if necessary, adjust
the pressure of each tire (including the
spare) at least once a month (for example,
during a fuel stop) and before any long
journey.
Tire placard
Check the tire pressures when the tires
are cold. Use a pressure gauge to adjustthe tire pressures to the values shown on
the tire placard. The tire placard is located
on the door pillar on the driver’s side.
Driving even a short distance warms up
the tires and increases the tire pressures.
Also, the tire pressures are affected by the
outside temperature. It is best to check tire
pressure outdoors before driving the
vehicle.
When a tire becomes warm, the air inside
it expands, causing the tire pressure to
increase. Be careful not to mistakenly
release air from a warm tire to reduce its
pressure.
NOTE
.The air pressure in a tire increases
by approximately 4.3 psi (30 kPa, 0.3
kgf/cm
2) when the tire becomes warm.
.The tires are considered cold when
the vehicle has been parked for at least
3 hours or has been driven less than 1
mile (1.6 km).
WARNING
Do not let air out of warm tires to
adjust pressure. Doing so will result
in low tire pressure.
Incorrect tire pressures detract from con-trollability and ride comfort, and they
cause the tires to wear abnormally.
.Correct tire pressure(tread worn
evenly)
Roadholding is good, and steering is
responsive. Rolling resistance is low, so
fuel consumption is also lower.
Maintenance and service/Tires and wheels
–CONTINUED–11-27
Maintenance and service/Tires and wheels
.Abnormally low tire pressure(tread
worn at shoulders)
Rolling resistance is high, so fuel con-
sumption is also higher..Abnormally high tire pressure(tread
worn in center)Ride comfort is poor. Also, the tire
magnifies the effects of road surface
bumps and dips, possibly resulting in
vehicle damage.
WARNING
Driving at high speeds with exces-
sively low tire pressures can cause
the tires to deform severely and to
rapidly become hot. A sharp in-
crease in temperature could cause
tread separation, and destruction of
the tires. The resulting loss of
vehicle control could lead to an
accident.
&Wheel balance
Each wheel was correctly balanced when
your vehicle was new, but the wheels will
become unbalanced as the tires become
worn during use. Wheel imbalance causes
the steering wheel to vibrate slightly at
certain vehicle speeds and detracts from
the vehicle’s straight-line stability. It can
also cause steering and suspension sys-
tem problems and abnormal tire wear. If
you suspect that the wheels are not
correctly balanced, have them checked
and adjusted by your SUBARU dealer.
Also have them adjusted after tire repairs
and after tire rotation.
CAUTION
Loss of correct wheel alignment
causes the tires to wear on one side
and reduces the vehicle’s running
stability. Contact your SUBARU
dealer if you notice abnormal tire
wear.
NOTE
The suspension system is designed to
hold each wheel at a certain alignment
(relative to the other wheels and to the
road) for optimum straight-line stability
and cornering performance.
11-28
14-2Index
A
Abbreviation................................................................... 3
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)..................................... 7-33
Warning light......................................................... 3-18
Access key............................................................... 2-10
Warning indicator................................................... 3-24
Accessories.............................................................. 11-40
Accessory power outlet............................................... 6-10
Air cleaner element................................................... 11-15
Air conditioner
Automatic climate control system............................... 4-5
Manual climate control system................................... 4-6
Air filtration system..................................................... 4-10
Airflow selection........................................................... 4-6
Alarm system............................................................ 2-28
All-Wheel Drive warning light....................................... 3-22
Aluminum wheel....................................................... 11-31
Cleaning............................................................... 10-3
Antenna...................................................................... 5-2
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)..................................... 7-33
Arming the system..................................................... 2-29
Armrest..................................................................... 1-15
Ashtray..................................................................... 6-12
AT OIL TEMP warning light......................................... 3-16
Audio
aha
TMby HARMAN................................................ 5-44
AM/FM radio......................................................... 5-28
AUX ..................................................................... 5-61
Base display audio set.............................................. 5-4
Basic operation...................................................... 5-18
Bluetooth audio...................................................... 5-58CD ....................................................................... 5-53
iPod...................................................................... 5-56
Pandora
®.............................................................. 5-50
SiriusXM Satellite Radio.......................................... 5-37
STARLINK............................................................. 5-26
Steering switches for audio...................................... 5-63
SUBARU STARLINK
TMMultimedia Plus audio set ....... 5-6
Unit setting............................................................ 5-19
USB memory......................................................... 5-55
Auto on/off headlights................................................. 3-44
Sensor.................................................................. 3-45
Vehicle setting........................................................ 3-42
Automatic climate control system................................... 4-5
Automatic headlight beam leveler
Warning light.......................................................... 3-30
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ELR)........... 1-17
B
Battery
Drainage prevention function..................................... 2-8
Jump starting......................................................... 9-11
Replacement (access key)..................................... 11-50
Replacement (remote engine start transmitter)........... 7-21
Replacement (transmitter)...................................... 11-51
Vehicle battery..................................................... 11-37
Bluetooth
®
Audio.................................................................... 5-58
Hands-free phone system........................................ 5-71
Settings................................................................. 5-66
Troubleshooting...................................................... 5-88
Bluetooth
®settings..................................................... 5-66
14-10Index
Security
Alarm system........................................................ 2-28
Immobilizer.............................................................. 2-4
Indicator light......................................................... 3-29
Shock sensors....................................................... 2-32
Select lever
Position indicator................................................... 3-30
Shift lock function................................................... 7-27
Shock sensors........................................................... 2-32
Shopping bag hook.................................................... 6-14
Snow tires........................................................ 8-11, 11-25
Snowy and icy roads.................................................. 8-10
Spark plugs...................................................... 11-18, 12-9
Specifications............................................................ 12-2
Speedometer............................................................... 3-8
SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag) ... 4, 1-41
SRS airbag system
Monitors................................................................ 1-68
Servicing............................................................... 1-69
Warning light......................................................... 3-14
Starting & stopping engine.................................... 7-9, 7-12
State emission testing (U.S. only).................................. 7-7
Steering responsive fog lights system........................... 3-49
OFF indicator........................................................ 3-31
Steering switches for audio......................................... 5-63
Steering wheel
Lock............................................................. 7-11, 7-15
Power................................................................... 7-31
Tilt/telescopic......................................................... 3-63
Stop light................................................................ 12-15
Storage compartment................................................... 6-6Sun shade................................................................. 2-50
Sun visors.................................................................. 6-4
Supplemental Restraint System airbag (SRS)................ 1-41
Synthetic leather upholstery......................................... 10-5
T
Tachometer................................................................. 3-9
Temperature gauge..................................................... 3-11
Temperature warning light
AT OIL TEMP......................................................... 3-16
Temporary spare tire.................................................... 9-2
Tether (child restraint system).............................. 1-35, 1-38
Tie-down hooks.......................................................... 9-14
Tire................................................................. 11-24, 12-9
Chains.................................................................. 8-12
Inspection............................................................ 11-26
Pressures and wear.............................................. 11-27
Replacement........................................................ 11-30
Rotation.............................................................. 11-29
Size and pressure.................................................. 12-9
Types.................................................................. 11-24
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)..... 7-40, 9-10, 11-25
Warning light.......................................................... 3-16
Tires and wheels...................................................... 11-24
Tools
.......................................................................... 9-3
Top tether anchorages........................................ 1-35, 1-38
Towing...................................................................... 9-13
All wheels on the ground......................................... 9-17
Flat-bed truck......................................................... 9-16
Hooks................................................................... 9-14
Weight .................................................................. 8-21
Trailer
Connecting............................................................ 8-19
Hitch (Outback).............................................. 8-18, 8-25
Towing.................................................................. 8-21
Towing tips............................................................ 8-26
Trip meter................................................................... 3-9
Trunk lid........................................................... 2-38, 9-19
Release handle..................................................... 2-39
Trunk light................................................................ 11-49
Turn signal
Indicator lights....................................................... 3-30
Lever.................................................................... 3-47
U
Under-floor storage compartment................................. 6-20
V
Valet mode................................................................ 2-32
Vanity mirror................................................................ 6-5
Vehicle
Capacity weight..................................................... 8-13
Identification........................................................ 12-18
Symbols.................................................................... 3
Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF indicator light.................................................. 3-24
OFF switch........................................................... 7-37
Operation indicator light.......................................... 3-23
System................................................................. 7-35
Warning light......................................................... 3-23
Ventilator.................................................................... 4-2
Voice command operation........................................... 5-81W
Warning and indicator lights......................................... 3-12
Warning chimes
Keyless access with push-button start system ............ 3-24
Seatbelt................................................................. 3-12
Warning light
ABS...................................................................... 3-18
Access key............................................................ 3-24
All-Wheel Drive...................................................... 3-22
AT OIL TEMP......................................................... 3-16
Automatic headlight beam leveler............................. 3-30
Brake system......................................................... 3-18
Charge.................................................................. 3-15
CHECK ENGINE.................................................... 3-15
Engine low oil level................................................. 3-16
Keyless access with push-button start system ............ 3-24
Low fuel................................................................ 3-21
Low tire pressure.................................................... 3-16
Oil pressure........................................................... 3-15
Power steering....................................................... 3-22
Seatbelt................................................................. 3-12
SRS airbag system................................................. 3-14
Vehicle Dynamics Control........................................ 3-23
Windshield washer fluid........................................... 3-22
Warning volume
BSD/RCTA............................................................ 3-42
EyeSight system.................................................... 3-41
Warranties
..................................................................... 1
Warranties and maintenance........................................ 8-21
Washing.................................................................... 10-2
Waxing and polishing.................................................. 10-3
Index14-11